96 THE PEACE TREATY WITH GERMANY
set up there. But if hon. Members will look at the conditions of the
mandates they will find that they arc the conditions which apply in
respect of British Colonies throughout the world now—freedom of
conscience and religion, prohibition of the slave trade, the arms traffic
and the liquor traffic, the prevention of the establishment of fortifica-
tions or of military and naval bases, the prohibition of the military
training of the natives for other than police purposes, and the defence
of territory. We have never raised an army for aggressive purposes in
any of these Colonies. Equal opportunities for trade and commerce—
we have allowed that in all our Colonies without distinction. So that
you find that the conditions of the mandate described here arc the
conditions which we ourselves have always applied in respect to British
Colonies throughout the world. Under this mandate the responsibilities
of the British Empire have been enormously increased. Something
like 800,000 square miles have been added to the gigantic charge
already on the shoulders of this Empire, a charge which has undoubtedly
been fulfilled in a way which has won the wonder of the whole world.
There have been constant references to British administration, its
efficiency, its fairness, its gentleness to the natives, the manner in
which it won its way, the confidence that it established everywhere—
that was a common matter of observation throughout the whole of
this great Conference in Paris.
LABOUR CONVENTION.
The other great condition of Peace is the Labour Convention which
has been added to this document. This is a matter of very vital impor-
tance for the future industrial conditions of the world. It is intended
to secure better and more uniform conditions of labour. When you
bear in mind that at least three-fourths of the armies that won this
great victory were drawn from the working classes of the various
nations you feel that they have won a right to a corner of their own in
this great Treaty, and I am very glad that, largely through the nego-
tiations of my right hon. Friend (Mr. Barnes), this charter has been
added to the Treaty. Competition is becoming keener, and the markets
of the world have been invaded from low-paid countries where the
conditions are very degraded, and the mere existence of these con-
ditions in other countries made it difficult to effect improvement in our
own, notably with regard to child labour. Now*I hope that by means
of the machinery set up in this document, it will be possible to establish
some permanent means by which you can raise the level of labour
throughout the world, without the countries which are treating labour
well being handicapped in the neutral markets where they have to.
compete with lands where labour has inferior conditions. That is the
great purpose of that great charter, and I have no doubt these con-
ferences, representing not merely workmen, but employers of labour,
as, well as officials of Government Departments, will in themselves
promote goodwill and a better understanding amongst the nations of
the earth.